Dual sun visors

Abstract

A pair of sun visors for covering parts of both a front windshield and a front side window of an automobile. The visors may be attached to the automobile with cylindrical rods associated with bracket units, several different types of hinge mechanisms or a clamp and plate arrangement. The visors may also be actuated by electric motors for rotation and/or pneumatic or hydraulic elements for sliding the visors relative to the rods upon which they are mounted. This invention also automates the function of some visors in such a way that the motion of a visor into the appropriate position can be accmplished (a) manually, (b) by pressing conveniently located buttons connected to the car's electric system and to motors associated with the visors, and (c) by sun rays striking photcells placed at representative locations around top parts of the front windshield and the front side windows. Shades are also introduced in place of, or in conjunction with visors.

We claim: 
     
       1. A sun visor for passenger cars; the visor is mounted on, and can rotate vertically with a horizontal rod axle; the end of the rod axle is surrounded by a cylindrical washer which fits sufficiently tightly and is frictionally engaged inside a cylindrical hole in a horizontal direction inside a wide vertical rod; the cylindrical washer is (a) sufficiently loose around the end of the rod axle to allow vertical rotation of the rod axle and visor with little tension, yet (b) sufficiently tight to hold the rod axle and visor in any position following partial rotations; said wide vertical rod passes through a bracket unit fastened to a corner of a car's interior adjacent to a top corner of the front windshield; said wide vertical rod has a variable circular cross section a little wider just below the bracket unit then inside and above said bracket unit, the function of the wider part being to provide frictional engagement and prevent further movement of said wide vertical rod into the bracket unit; said wide vertical rod has yet a wider washer-like end above said bracket unit and has a spring around it between its washer-like end and the bracket unit; said wide vertical rod can be rotated horizontally in place as a result of little tension exerted on it; the arrangement makes it possible to rotate the rod axle and its associated visor in a horizontal direction;   as a consequence of the ability to rotate the visor in a vertical direction together with its rod axle and the abilitiy to rotate the rod axle together with said wide vertical rod in a horizontal direction, it is possible to position the visor at a top part of the front windshield or a top part of a front side window;   said rod axle has a narrow part near its end inside said wide vertical rod, said narrow part being a little wider than a screw which fits adjacent to it inside said wide vertical rod; the screw serves to fix the location of the rod axle relative to said wide vertical rod yet makes it possible to disassemble and reassemble the rod axle and the associated visor;   said wide vertical rod is mostly hollow inside with its said washer-like end in the form of a gear which has a motor associated with it; the motor including a combination of gears associated therewith to automate the rotation of both said wide vertical rod and said rod axle; the rotations can be conducted manually and can also be conducted automatically by (a) a motor-driven gear pressed against the outside of said washer-like end of said wide vertical rod, and (b) motor-driven gears which are associated with and can rotate the cylindrical washer surrounding the end of the rod axle inside said wide vertical rod.   
     
     
       2. A visor system for automobiles including two pairs of visors, one pair on the driver's side and one pair on the front seat passenger's side of the automobile, the visor system is capable in certain situations of simultaneously providing a continuous cover over adjacent corners and top parts of a front windshield and a front side window of said automobile; the first visor of each of said two pairs of sun visor's is mounted on, and can rotate vertically through a range of unobstructed angles with a horizontal rod axle; the end of the rod axle is surrounded by a cylindrical washer which fits sufficiently tightly and is frictionally engaged inside a cylindrical hole in a horizontal direction inside a wide vertical rod; the cylindrical washer is (a) sufficiently loose around the end of the rod axle to allow vertical rotation of the rod axle and visor with little tension, yet (b) sufficiently tight to hold the rod axle and visor in any position following partial rotations;   said wide vertical rod passes through a bracket unit fastened to a corner of the automobile's interior adjacent to a top corner of the front windshield; said wide vertical rod has a variable circular cross section a little wider just below the bracket unit than inside and above said bracket unit, the function of the wider part being to provide frictional engagement and prevent further movement of said wide vertical rod into the bracket unit; said wide vertical rod has yet a wider washer-like end above said bracket unit and has a spring around it between its washer-like end and the bracket unit; said wide vertical rod can be rotated horizontally in place as a result of little tension exerted on it; the arrangement makes it possible to rotate the rod axle and its associated visor in a horizontal direction;   as a consequence of the ability to rotate the visor in a vertical direction together with its rod axle and the ability to rotate the rod axle together with said wide vertical rod in a horizontal direction, it is possible to position the visor at a top part of the front windshield or a top part of a front side window;   said rod axle has a narrow part near its end inside said wide vertical rod, said narrow part being a little wider than a screw which fits adjacent to it inside said wide vertical rod; the screw serves to fix the location of the rod axle relative to said wide vertical rod yet makes it possible to disassemble and reassemble the rod axle and the associated visor;   said wide vertical rod is mostly hollow inside with its said washer-like end in the form of a gear which has a motor associated with it; the motor including a combination of gears associated therewith to automate the rotation of both said wide vertical rod and said rod axle; the rotations can be conducted manually and can also be conducted automatically by (a) a motor driven gear pressed against the outside of said washer like end of said wide vertical rod, and (b) motor-driven gears which are associated with and can rotate the cylindrical washer surrounding the end of the rod axle inside said wide vertical rod;   the second visor of each of said two pairs of sun visors is situated normally behind said first visor and is mounted to the top of said automobile adjacent to a top part of the front windshield;   when said first visor is situated in a position to cover a corner and top part of a front side window, said second visor is free to be rotated through a range of unobstructed angles in such a way as to cover a corner and top part of the front windshield;   one side of each of said first visor and said second visor adjacent to said bracket unit and adjacent to a corner of the front windshield is curved in such a way as not to interfere with the bracket unit during rotations while being capable of providing a cover over a corner and top part of a windshield.   
     
     
       3. In the visor system as recited in claim 2 wherein each second visor of said two pairs of sun visors can be actuated by motor means.